The New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI) will develop a statewide nutrition and health program in collaboration with the Culture of Health Academy, the lab-preschool housed in the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH) building. The NJHKI will engage schools and communities across the state to learn about the many ways nutrition and health can be improved through a new “culture of health”. This program will be brought to low income communities via the NJHKI, and schools will be invited to the IFNH to engage with the research staff as they learn about nutrition, fitness, and culinary literacy. Schools that participate in the program will be awarded a certificate that designates them as a “Culture of Health School” and students will be awarded gifts and certificates based on their level of participation. The NJHKI will provide a breadth of opportunities to children as they learn from research that will be conducted. For example, while engaging with the program, body composition and fitness will be measured and incorporated into learning goals for children, educators, and parents.
